Paul Orude, Bauchi
The Federal Government has expressed willingness to partner with northern governors to formalise the Almajiri system of education.
Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Hajiya Mariam Uwais, stated this in Gombe during a meeting with traditional rulers, community leaders and stakeholders on Tsangaya out of school children.
Uwais said the plan was to ensure that proper data was generated on the Almaraji children pledging that they would be kept in schools for about six to nine months.
She said these children would be given intense basic education and skills to enable them fit into the new perspective, which will prepare them for the classroom and formal school system.
She said the children would learn literacy, numeracy, entrepreneurship and vocational education.
Uwais said those who were older and may want to go into trade and other vocations would be trained to do that.
She said taking care of such schools was the responsibility of the state governments, but that the Federal Government was willing to assist in order to give these children a brighter future.
Uwais urged traditional and community leaders to assist towards the success of the programme for the development of the country state Programme Coordinator of Better Education and Service Delivery for All, BESDA, Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed Garkuwa explained that not all children on the streets begging were Almajiri.
Garkuwa said research had shown that over 70 per cent of people begging were not Almajiri or pupils learning, reciting and memorising the Quran.
He said with the support of Gombe governor, over 200,000 out-of-school children have returned to classrooms under BESDA programme.
Garkuwa said the programme would improve the living standard of children in the state and called for support from all stakeholders.